Revisional Surgery

Sometimes, weight loss operations do not work. You may not lose enough weight to improve your health, or you may regain weight.

If this is the case, you should make an appointment to see your surgeon. This may be a result of your behavior, but more importantly, it may be a result of the normal course of your operation. If this is the case, your surgeon may suggest that an operation to revise or change your operation would be helpful.

If you had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and have recently regained weight - the new ROSE procedure maybe the answer for you.

What is the ROSE Procedure?

Before the ROSE incisionless procedure, patients who regained weight after gastric bypass generally had few treatment options.  Scarring and adhesions related to the initial bypass procedure make open or laparoscopic revision surgery very challenging.  Revision surgery procedure time is typically longer than the original bypass procedure and patients can be up to three times more likely to develop a complication following revision surgery.  Therefore, most patients who regain weight after gastric bypass opt not to undergo open or laparoscopic surgical revision after weighing the risks and benefits.

Why would I gain weight after gastric bypass?

A number of studies suggest that patients regain weight due to the gradual enlargement of the surgically altered small stomach pouch and stoma, (connection between the stomach and small intestine).  When the Roux-en-Y procedure is performed, the stomach and stoma are made very small, which slows the passage of food and creates a feeling of fullness after just a small volume of food is eaten.  It is believed that when the stomach pouch and stoma gradually enlarge, the feeling of fullness is no longer present, patients can eat larger meals, and weight regain occurs. 

How do I find out if I’m eligible for this new incisionless, restorative ROSE procedure?

Patients who had a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass more than 2 years ago, lost over 50% of their excess weight and have now regained 15% or more of this weight are ideal candidates for this procedure.

After an initial screening, you will undergo a series of evaluations including nutritional and dietary counseling, a full medical exam and endoscopy to determine if you are a good candidate.